Ezekiel, or Zeke, and his parents, Mikka and Gregg Rosado, a member of the U.S. Air Force, know a thing or two about hearts and heart surgery. They also have big, caring hearts to match.

Zeke was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which means the left side of his heart isn’t large enough to function correctly. Kids with this condition must undergo a series of three palliative surgeries to survive, Mikka says. Zeke has had two of the three surgeries.

To raise money and awareness about Zeke’s condition and thank the various local organizations who have helped Mikka, Gregg and Zeke in the past two years, the family designed T-shirts to sell to friends and family. They presented Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities with a $550 check recently.  “The fact that we can help other heart families is major to us,” Mikka says. “The design on the back is a drawing of Zeke’s current heart anatomy.”

“After seeing the response, we thought this would be a great way to raise funds for local heart charities, as a way of giving back,” Mikka says. “When we were inpatient for Zeke’s prior surgeries, we took advantage of the local organizations, so we know how important they are.”

The family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House Intermountain Area in Salt Lake City for two weeks and used the Ronald McDonald Family Room at the hospital.

“The services you provide allowed us to better focus on our son and his care,” Mikka says. “Something as simple as having a hot, homemade meal was very comforting.”

Ronald McDonald House Charities provided a safe place to stay without breaking the bank, Mikka says. “We are beyond thankful for your organization, and are thrilled to have an opportunity to give back!”